My earliest memories of Alejandro’s was Papa hankering for Filipino food. The crispy pata angle just fortified its place in the Cebuano culinary firmament, the restaurant does not kid around with serving you the best.
Over the years, Alexis Yap, who took over the reins of the family business in the early 2000s, has remained true to the DNA of Ale, as he fondly calls it, but making sure it remains relevant to the Millennials, who also flock to this 24-year-old institution for different reasons. “Our cheese sticks and the turon (traditionally a dessert of mango and jackfruit wrapped in lumpia wrapper and deep fried) are our most popular pulutan for this demographic,” he says over dinner of, what else, crispy pata.
Pork leg with bihon
I’m not entirely sure I get why, but a bite into the turon lends a little light on the dubious Millennial combination. Call me old-fashioned, but I still have to have my personal favorite: pork leg with bihon, a soupy little vermicelli dish with pork leg bone pressure-cooked to edible goodness that I often polish the plate, bone included. “Tastes like chestnuts,” offers Alexis. Exactly!
What’s your favorite on the Alejandro’s menu?
(From today until Sunday, Aug. 23, gift vouchers are given out to diners to celebrate Alejandro’s 24th anniversary. A P500 single receipt gets you a P100 rebate which can go to a giant pitcher cocktail; every P1,000 single receipt gets a free sizzling sisig, and P1,500 single receipt gets you a free crispy pata. Free dessert for everyone as well on their birthday, Aug. 23.)